Cynthia Nixon Running for New York Governor

Cynthia Nixon is officially running for governor in her home state of New York.

After teasing the possibility for months, the former Sex and the Citystar announced her candidacy on Monday (March 19) in a two-minute video posted to social media. "New York is my home. I’ve never lived anywhere else,” she says in the voiceover, noting that she grew up with her single mom in a fifth-floor walkup. "I was given chances I just don't see for most of New York's kids today. Our leaders are letting us down ... Something has to change."

The actress will contend with current governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who has served two terms and is the son of a three-term governor, in the Democratic primary. If she wins, she'll be the first female governor in New York history. She will also be the first openly gay woman to hold the position (She married education activist Christine Marinoni in 2012; the couple share three children).

Nixon has been involved in advocacy work for the LGBT community and education for more than a decade. According to her campaign website, she'll focus on income inequality, health care availability, concerns about mass incarceration, and “fixing [the city's] broken subway."

Nixon has also positioned herself as a vocal critic of Cuomo's, and has accused him of being the main cause of the divide between the state’s “richest” and “poorest schools," according to People.

Two former strategists for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Bill Hyers and Rebecca Katz, have signed on to advise Nixon's campaign. She joins a number of celebrities turning to politics, following Stacey Dash, who's currently seeking a House seat representing California, and, of course, President Donald Trump.

"We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us," Nixon continued in the video. "It can’t just be business as usual anymore."